The chalice that helped make possible the Iran nuclear deal
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When he took his seat, he slid the bag across the conference table. He said the United States wanted to give the griffin to Rouhani. The Iranian diplomat looked inside. His eyes grew wide.
The Iranian stood, looked at the American and thanked him. In the U.S. diplomat's 10 years in the foreign service, he had never had a one-on-one meeting, let alone extended eye contact, with an Iranian peer.
"He gave this lovely speech, telling me how much this meant to the Iranian people, and to him personally," the U.S. diplomat said. "It was an important moment. I know I'll never forget it."
Two days later, Rouhani accepted a telephone call from Obama, the first such high-level contact since 1979, when militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking hostages they held for 444 days.
http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-iran-griffin-20131130,0,2666282,full.story
= new reply since forum marked as read
Well worth going to the link. Thanks for posting this fascinating story and photo! 
Julie
Genuinely curious.
-Laelth
"We do not look a gift horse in the mouth," Najafi said. "Even if it is fake, it is worthy."
At the end.
-Laelth
